Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 February 1912 — THE GIRL from HIS TOWN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE GIRL from HIS TOWN

By MARIE VAN VORST

OhiMfatt by M. G. KETTNER

(Copjrlgiu., 1910, tij The Bobbs-Merrill OoJ SYNOPSIS. Den Biair, the 22-year-old son of the llfty-milllon-dollar copper king o/_Blairtown, Mont., la a guest at the English borne of Lady Galorey. Dan’s father had been courteous to Lord Galorey during his visit to the United States and the epurtesy is now being returned to the young man. The youth has an Ideal girl in his mind. He meets Lily, Duchess of Breakwater, a beautiful widow, who Is attracted by his Immense fortune and takes a liking to her. When Dan was a boy, a girl sang a solo at a church, and he' had never forgotten her. The Galoreys. • Lily and Dan attend a London theater where one Letty Lane Is the star. Dan recognises her as the girl from his town; and going behind the scenes Introduces himself and she remembers him. Ha learns that Prince Ponlotowsky Is suitor and escort to Letty. Lord Gas lorey and a friend named Buggies determine to protect the westerner from Lily and other fortune hunters. Young Blair goes to see Lily; he can talk of nothing but Letty and this angers the Duchess. The westerner finds Letty 111 from hard work, but she recovers and Ruggles and Dan Invite her to supper. She asks Dan to bond a home for disappointed theatrlcal people. Den visits faHyrfW the time forgetting Letty. and later announces nls engagement to the duchess. Letty refuses to sing for an entertainment given by Lily. Galorey tells Dan that all Lily cares for Is his money. CHAPTER XV. —Continued. "How can It hurt her, my dear man, to tell her you are poor?” ‘lt’s a lie. I’m not up to lying to her; I dpn’t care to. And' you mean to think that if I told her I was busted she would throw me over?” “Like a shot, my green young friend —like a shot." “You haven’t a very good opinion of women,’* Blair threw out with as near a sneer as his fine young face could express. “No; not very,” agreed the pool player, who had continued his shots with more or less sangfroid. When Galorey had run off his string of halls he said, looking up from the table: “But I’ve got a very good opinion of that, ‘nice girl’ you told me of when you first came, and I wish to Heaven she bad kept you in the states.” This caught the boy’s attention as nothing else had. “There never was any such girl,” he said slowly; “there never has been anywhere; I rather guess they don’t grow. You have made mb a cad in listening to you. Gordon, but as to playing any of those' comedy tricks you suggest, they are not in my line. If she is marrying mefor my money, why, she’ll get it.” • “You’re a coward,” said Galorey, "like the rest of American husbands — all Ideal and no common sense. You want to make a mess of your life. You haven’t the grit to get out of a TBS ! .!

He.spurred himself on and his weak (ace grew strong as he felt he was compelling the boy’s attention. "If you only had half the character your father had, you wouldn’t make a mistake like this; you wouldn’t run blind Into such a deal as this." Blair was 1 repressed by his host. Galorey was so deadly in earnest and ■o honest, and. as Dan’s face grew set and hardened, hi# companion prayed tbr wisdom. “If I can < only win through this without touching Lily hard,” he thought, and as he' waited Blair said: , “You haven’t hesitated to call me names, Gordon. You’re not my bufld or my . age, and I can’t thrash you.” And bis host said cheerfully: “Oh. yes, you can; come on and try,” and. metaphorically speaking, Dan struck his first blow: "They say—people have said to me —that you once cared for Lily your•elf.” The Englishman’s heavy eyelids did not flicker. “It’s quite true.” Taken back by this frank response, Blair stammered: “Well, I guess that explains everything. It's not surprising that you shonld feel as you do. If you are Jealous, I can forgive it a little bit, but it is low down to call a woman a fortune hunter.” Now Gordon Galorey’a face changed and grew slightly white. “Don’t make me angry, my dear chap/’ he said in a low tone; “I have said what I wanted to say. Now. go to the devil if you like and as soon as you like.” And the hoy said hotly, stammering In his excitement: 1 “Not yet—not yet—not before I tell you what I think.” ...• ' Gordon, with wonderful control of his own anger, met the boy’s eyes, and iaid with great patience: "No, don’t, Dan; don’t go on. There gre many things in this aft air that we can’t touch upon. Let It drop. The right woman would make a ripping man of you, but you oughtn’t to marry for ten years.” Dan took the hand which Galorey put out to him, and the Englishman aald warmly: "My dear chap, I hope It will all come out right, from my heart *' ; *** ' ; • ■ * p

Dan, who had regained his balance, satdjto his friend; “Eve been very angry at what you said, but you’re the chap my father Bent me to. There ifiust be something back of this, and I’m going to find out what it is, and I'm going to take my .own- way to And out. I. would n’t give a rap for anythffcg that came to me through a trick or a lie, and I wouldn’t know how to go to her with a cock-and-bull story. I shall act as I feel and go ahead being just as I am, and perhaps she won’t want me after all, even if I have got the roefteT” And Galorey said heartily: “I wish there was a chance of it.” When, later, Gordon thought of Dan it was with a glow. “What a chip of the old block he is.” he said; “what a good bit of character, even at twen-ty-two years.” He was divided between feeling that he had made a mess of things between Dan and himself, and feeling sure that some of his advice had gone home. After a moment’s silence, Dan Blair’s son said: “I’m going up to London tomorrow.” “For long?” “Don’t know.” Then returning with boyish simplicit to their subject, which Galorey thought had been dropped? Dan said: “There may be something true in what you say, Gordon. Perhaps she does want my money. I’m not a titled man and I’ll never be known for anything except my income. At any rate I was rich when I asked her to marry me, and I’m going to fix up that old place of hers, and I’m glad I’ve got the coin to do it." When, later, for they had been interrupted in their conversation by the

entrance of the lady herself, Gordon, as Ruggles had done, mentally thought of the flowing tide of life, and how it flowed over what he himself had called "rotten ground.” Perhaps old - Blair was right,- he mused, after all. What does it matter If the source Is pure at the head water? It’s awfully hard to force it at the start, at least. CHAPTER XVI. The Musicals Program. The duchess ran Dan, made plans, set the pace, and they were very much In evidence during the season. The young American, good-natured and generous, the duchess beautiful and knowing, were the observed of London, and those of her friends who would have tolerated Dan on account of his money, ended by sincerely liking him. The wedding-day had not been fixed as yet, and Dan was not so violently carried away that he could not wait to be married. Meanwhile Gordon Galorey thanked God for the delay and hoped for a miracle to break the spell over his friend’s son , before It should be too late. In early May the question came up regarding the muslcale. The duchess made her list and arranged the Sunday afternoon and her performers to suit her taste, and the week before lounged In h£r boudoir when Dan and Galorey appeared for a late morning call. “There, Dan," she said, holding out a bit of paper, “look at the list and the program, will you?” “Sounds and reads all tight,” commented Dan, handing it on to Galorey. Besides being an artistic event, she intended that the concert should serve to present Dan to her special set. She now lit a cigarette and gave one to each of her friends, lighting the Englishman’s a herself. “The best names in London," Lord Galorey said “You see, Dan, we shall trot you out in a royal way. I hope you fully appreciate how swagger this is to be.” Glancing at the list Blair remarked: "But I don’t see Miss Lane’s name?” “Why should you?" the duchess answered sharply. “Why, we planned all along that she was to sing,” he returned. She long puff to her cigarette. "We did rather speak of It But we shall do very well as we are. The program is full up and it’s perfectly ripping as it stands.”

“Yes, there’s only just one thing the matter with it,” the boy smiled goodnaturedly, “and it's easy enough to run her in. I guess Miss Lane could be run in most anywhere on any program and not clear the house.” Lord Galorey, who knew nothing about.thfi.subject _ under. discussion, said tactfully: “Why, of course, Letty Lane is perfectly charming, but you couldn’t get fcer, my dear chap.” “I think we will let the thing stand as it is,” said the duchess, going back to her desk and stirring her paper about, “frr really too late now, you know, Dan.” Unruffled, but with a determination which Lord Galorey ahd thejady were far from guessing, Blair resumed tranquilly: “Oh, I guess she’ll come In all right, late as it is. We’ll send word to her and fix it up.” The duchess turned to him, annoyer: “Oh, don’t be a beastly bore, dear —you are not really serious.” Dan still smiled at her sweetly. “You bet your life I am, though, Lily.” She rang a bell at the side of her desk, and when the footman came in gave him the sheet of paper. “See that this Is taken at once to the stationer’s.” “Better wait, Lily”—her fiance extended his hand —“until the program is filled out the way it is going to stand,” And Blair fixed his handsome eyes on his future wife. “Why, we got this shindig up,” he noted irreverently, “Just so Miss Lane could sing at it” “Nonsense,” she cried, angry and powerles, “you ridiculous creature! Fancy mei getting up a muslcale for

Letty Lane! Do tell Dan to step bothering and fussing, Gordon. He’s too ridiculous!" "And Lord Galorey said: “What is the row anyway?” "Why, I want Miss Lane to sing hero on Sunday,” Dan explained. . . . "And I don’t want her," finished the Duchess of Breakwater, who was evidently unwilling to force a scene before Lord Galorey. She handed the list to her servant bat Dan intercepted It. “Don’t Bend out that list, Lily, as It is.” f He gave It back to her, and his tone was so cool, his expression so decided and quiet, that she was disarmed, and dismissed the servant, telling him to return when she should ring again. Qoloring with anger, she tapped the envelope against her brilliantly polished nails. If she had been married to Blair she would have burst into a violent rage; if he had been poorer than he was she'twould have put him in his place. Lord Galorey understood the contraction of her brows and lips as Dan reminded: “You promised me that you would have hen you know, Lily.” ■ “Give In, Lily,” Galorey advised, rising from the chair where he was lounging. “Give in gracefully." And she turned on Galorey the anger which she dared not show the other man. But Dan interrupted her, explaining simply: "I knew the girl when she was a kid: she Is from my old home, and I want Idly to ask her here to sing for us, and then to see if we can’t do something to gb t her out of the state she is in." (TO BE CONTINUED.)

“ But I Don’t See Mias Lane’s Name.”